Our duty to stop oil exploration in Irish waters

Last week, one of Ireland’s prominent oil and gas exploration companies, Providence Resources, revealed that their latest oil-drilling exploit in Irish waters hit a snag, or water in fact.

In July, Providence began drilling in Porcupine Basin, 220km off the southwest coast, in search of an estimated five billion barrels of oil. The first of its two wells, Druid, was revealed as a water-containing reservoir in early August.

Ironically, drilling began just one week after a Bill to ban onshore fracking in Ireland was signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.

Consent for the project was granted by the Minister for Natural Resources Sean Kyne, who defended the decision due to the potential benefits of “enhanced security supply and reduced fossil fuel imports”.

However, the extent of these benefits is questionable, and there are many drawbacks to offshore drilling that the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) has failed to adequately address.

Irish Economy

There is no direct financial gain for Ireland from these projects. They do not create Irish jobs, as we do not have a pool of skilled workers in this area. Our 25 per cent take on profits from oil and gas exploration – the second lowest in the world – can easily be written off against exploration, development and other costs.

The Department’s website lists wind, bio-energy, and solar energy as areas for development, and claims that we have an “unparalleled offshore energy resource, with suitable conditions available for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies”.

It is time to act and take advantage of this “unparalleled” offshore resource and leave offshore oil exploration in the past.

The renewable energy sector is a growing, innovative area, while the oil and gas industry is struggling, with more and more jobs being lost to automation.

Opposition Campaign

Both Druid and Drombeg are being filled in, and Providence is packing up its drills – for now. Their next target is the Barryroe Well off the coast of Cork, with future projects including the Kish Basin off the Forty Foot in Dublin.

The news has led a group of young environmentalists to form an opposition campaign – Not Here Not Anywhere – to offshore oil and gas exploration, of which I am proud to be a part.

The group has held events in across the country to protest the drilling project, while a petition was also launched calling on Minister Naughten to stop the exploration and to ban all future offshore exploration in Irish waters.

The petition has gained over 2,600 signatures and will be delivered to the DCCAE office on Adelaide Road next Wednesday, 20 September 20 at 6pm.